Mouthpiece for brass wind instruments



J. PARDUBA Oct. 29, 1935.

Filed Deo. 13, 1933 Patented Oct. 29, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MOUTHPIECE FOR BRASS WIND INSTRUMENTS tion with a brass wind instrument, the free and exposed open lip end has an air chamber or cup generally of flared outline. Such formation in the cup affects the quality of the tone produced, since the air space, in the cup, between the lips of the user when compressed against the rim thereof and the restricted bore portion, is relatively large to produce lower tones. With mouthpieces having cups of this construction, it is diilicult to play notes in the upper registry, or to obtain notes of brilliant quality.

It is one object of this invention, therefore, to provide a simply constructed and emciently made integral mouthpiece which will avoid the abovediscussed disadvantages.

With these and other objects and features in view, the invention embodied herein generally includes a cup having a lip chamber and a toneproducing chamber with a substantially flat bottom or base making a llleted angular contact with the side wall of the lip chamber to form a comparatively sharp corner, the side wall of said lip chamber being slightly curved to its top portion, while the tone-producing chamber is inclined to form a sharp corner with the base of the cup of the lip chamber, the bore of the toneproducing chamber communicating directly with the bore of the mouthpiece.

The invention further consists in the new and novel features of construction and the new and original arrangement of parts in a mouthpiece hereinafter described and shown in the drawing and finally claimed.

In the accompanying drawing:-

Figure 1 is a magnified longitudinal section of the preferred embodiment;

Figure 2 is an enlarged top plan view of the embodiment; and

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view lof the curved part of the inside of the lip chamber and toneproducing chamber in respect to the axis of the mouthpiece, and shown with cross lines thereon to indicate the boundaries of the respective lip chamber and tone-producing chamber.

Similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the view.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown a stem or hollow tube 5 which merges into a. throat portion 6. At the end of tube 5 and merging with the throat portion 6, is a. base collar 1 having a rim 8. The inner contour of the mouthpiece shows an axial bore 9 extending the length of the stem or tube and is restricted at the throat portion and the base collar 'I at 1a. In the base collar the rim 8 has a rounded outer and flat top portion I0. Each of these elements of the 5 mouthpiece are integrally made and of xed form.

The novel feature consists in providing a lip chamber and a tone producer. The lip chamber I2 extends from the rim of the top portion I0 to 10 a table portion formed by a flat surface I3 which at its outer periphery makes a sharp angle with the side wall of the tone chamber II, a fillet I2a being interposed between the table portion I3 and the portion I5 of relatively long curvature. 15 The bottom base I3 is smoothed and planed. The inner curved wall I5 of rim 8 is vertically disposed but of curvate contour, opening outwardly With the smallest diameter at the table portion and the largest diameter at the rim portion, so 20 as to provide a substantially evenly decreasing cross-sectional chamber, into which the lips can enter and the air passing through the lips disseminates. The upper portion I4 of the wall I5 may be slightly rounded inwardly from the top 25 I0 toward the axis of the cup to form a slightly convex contour.

The lower wall portion I5 of the cup makes a sharp corner and an angle of substantially or more. The center of the flat portion I3 with the opening I8 permits the air waves to pass into the tapering or conical bore II of the soundproducing portion.

By the novel construction of the cup formation in the mouthpiece, when the user compresses his lips against the top surface I0 of the rim 8 and the forward part of the lips protrudes into the lip chamber when blowing thereinto, the breath isintroduced and strikes against the fiat surface I3 having a sharp angle I6 with the wall of the tone chamber I'I. Also, the air blown into the lip chamber or cup, strikes the base thereof and the waves thus set up easily and gradually roll toward the flared central opening I8 into the restricted tapering bore 23 in the base collar. 45 After the waves or vibrations pass out of the tone producer I'I, they enter the bore 23 as heretofore described.

The mouthpiece described herein is adapted for easy blowing, and is highly effective and desirable for producing clear tones. In construction, the mouthpiece is provided with a cup having a flat base making a sharp-cornered edge I2a with the upwardly projecting curved sideu wall forming the lip portion, and with a toneproducing portion below the at base. The plane passing through the rim is substantially parallel with the flat base portion of the cup. The base of the tone-producing portion is provided with a central ared opening leading into a restricted bore of the mouthpiece, the flare continuing from the nat portion or base and the base is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the mouthpiece. Instead of having the base perpendicular to the axis of the piece, this flat base may incline very slightly to aid in the moisture more readily moving toward the central opening.

While one embodiment of my invention taken in connection with the accompanying drawing has been described, it is evident that various changes and modifications as to form, size, and use of material, may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as dened in the herein appended claims.

I claim:-

l. A mouthpiece for brass wind instruments comprising a member having an opening therethrough and provided with an outwardly enlarging tone chamber, said member having a lip chamber extending outwardly of the tone chamber, said lip chamber being greater in diameter than the greatest diameter of the tone chamber and having its bottom wall thereof disposed substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the member, the side wall of the lip chamber aoiava meeting the outer edge of the bottom wall of the lip chamber on a relatively long curvature.

2. A mouthpiece for brass Wind instruments comprising a member having an opening therethrough and provided with an outwardly enlarging tone chamber, said member having a. lip chamber extending outwardly of the tone chamber, said lip chamber being greater in diameter than the greatest diameter o1' the tone chamber and having its botto-m wall thereof disposed substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis y of the member, the side wall of the lip chamber meeting the outer edge of the bottom wall of the lip chamber on a relatively long curvature, and the side wall of the lip chamber being disposed on an oblique angle to the bottom Wall of the lip chamber.

3. A mouthpiece for brass wind instruments comprising a member having an opening therethrough and provided with an outwardly enlarging tone chamber, said member having a lip chamber extending outwardly of the tone chamber, said lip chamber being greater in diameter than the greatest diameter of the tone chamber and the wall of said lip chamber being ilared outwardly, and a table portion interposed between the inner end of the lip chamber and the outer end of the tone chamber, said table portion being substantially perpendicular to the axis of the mouth-piece.

JOHN PARDUBA. 

